"The Vampires Student"

Teil I : "Cirque du Freak"

Chapter 1 : Darren Shan

Darren Shan followed the vampire Larten Crepsley alongside the grounds of the camp of the Cirque du Freak.
He has just got out of his own coffin, in which he had to hold out many hours until the vampire with the orange-red hair and prominent scar across the face had digged him out and freed him.
Apart from the fact that his limbs were numb from the long time he had to spend in the dark coffin, the narcotics, that the vampire had given him, had not yet fully vanished.
Tired and confused, he stumbled behind the vampire.
He was scared. What would become of him?
For his parents, his family, his friends - including his best friend Steve - he was now dead.
They had been at his funeral, he had been lying with a broken neck in the garden like he had fallen out of the window.
Darren gulped while he remembered how his friend Steve stepped to his open coffin and looked down on him silently. He wished he could at least be able to tell him that he was not dead, but had made a deal with the vampire.
In order to save Steves life.
They reached a red tent, which was dimly lit from inside by the glow of fire.
The vampire thrust the entrance plane apart, apparently this was his home.
And thus from now on ... Darrens home as well.
Darren hesitated, than followed him inside.

The interior of the tent was barely illuminated by the light of a single, flickering candle.
A few worn-red leather armchairs, a threadbare carpet and low dark furniture filled the space, the other half of the tent was separated by a curtain from the rest.
In one of the chairs a young woman with long black hair layed curled up like a cat.
When the plane of the tent opened, she looked up, startled.

She had used the silken robe of the vampire as a blanket, and as Larten Crepsley entered the tent, she jumped up quickly.
She made a puzzled expression as if she had been caught in the act of something forebidden.
A blush rose in her pale face as she exclaimed: "Master Crepsley! You're back!"
She was visibly delighted.
"You have been away for three days, if I had known that you come back today ... I would have already canceled your performance for today. I will go and inform Director Tall..."
"Not necessary", growled Mr. Crepsley. "I have already spoken to the director. Today I`ll not do the show. "
The woman nodded and tried to help him out of his cape, but then she saw Darren, who stood behind the vampire in the entrance.
She frowned. "No fans in Mr Crepsleys tent," she hissed, and prepared to shoo him out of the tent.
"It`s allright", said the vampire. "This is Darren Shan."
He grabbed Darrens arm and pulled him from the entrance into the tent.
The woman tilted her head, so that her jet-black hair fell like a veil over her face.
"Darren, this is Gillian, my student", the vampire introduced the woman to him.
The woman looked at Darren, apparently she didn`t knew what to make out of him.
And Darren felt the same way. He had assumed that the vampire was living alone.
His student ?
What should that mean?
Mr Crepsley went over to the dark red leather armchairs, and the woman hastened to pick up the his mantle and hang it on a hook. She threw disapproving glances on Darren.
Darren looked around and did not know what to do with himselves. The vampire let himself sink into his chair with a sigh, and wiped his eyes with one of his big hands.
"Do you like a drink?", the student asked immediately.
The vampire grunted.
Darren shudderd and watched as the woman named Gillian went to a low chest of drawers, where a glass carafe with a red liquid waited readily. She filled a glass, and brought it to Mr Crepsley. "It is not much left. I didn`t know where you were, otherwise I would have ... "
The vampire cut her words off with a gesture.
She handed him the glass, and then stepped behind his chair, half hidden in shadows, from where she peered at Darren.
The vampire looked at the liquid in the glass, but did not drink.
"Gillian ...," Mr Crepsley hesitated, as if what he had to say, would be very unpleasant.
"Darren will be from now on my assistant."
Gillian winced what Mr Crepsley was not able to see, while she stood half in shadow behind his chair. Still, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as he braced himself against an outburst of the young woman.
"Assistant?" All the color had gone from her already pale face.
Gillian gave Darren an unbelieving look. "But Master Crepsley, you have me, why do you need an assistant?"
The vampire was silent and his student, emerged from the shadows, so that she could see Mr Crepsleys face. On her forehead was a frown.
"You're joking", she gasped in disbelief.
"No, he does not", Darren burst out, because this was too much.
She turned her head towards him, apparently she was surprised, that Darren could speak at all.
"I don`t have the habit to joke about such important matters", said Mr Crepsley sternly."Darren will live in the circus and you will teach him everything he needs to know as my assistant."
Gillian opened her mouth without saying a word, her eyes had widened, and now looked more scared and vulnerable as one would suspect behind her cold facade.
"Master Crepsley ...", the young woman began, with a slight tremor in her voice.
But Mr Crepsley cut her off. "I have made myself clear, Gillian."
For the first time the vampire looked her in the face, and his dark eyes pierced the young woman.
Darren felt a shiver passed through her slender body.
"If this ... is your wish ...", she said pressed and looked down, her face hidden by her long black hair.
The vampire looked at his student. Then he took a sip from the glass.
"Mr Tall is informed", he picked up again. "Darren will share the tent with Evra Von. And now please show him his new home. "
Gillian looked at Darren with narrowed eyes.
Then she turned on her heel so that her long black hair whipping the air and rushed out.
Darren had no other choice but to follow her.

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